Bicameral container



Nov. 10, 1964 D. R. Bowes ETAL.

BICAMERAL CONTAINER Filed Sept. 19, 1962 INVENTORS: A. 50a/f5 Il lllUnited States Patent C) 3,156,369 BICAMERAL CONTAINER Donald R. Bowes,Fanwood, and Paul E. Regan, Jr., Somerville, NJ., assignors to Ethieon,Inc., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 224,6293 Claims. (Cl. 21S- 6) This invention relates to bicameral containersfor storing, mixing and dispensing two different materials which areintended to be kept separate until just prior to the time they are to beused, and then mixed for use.

Containers of this type vary from simple holders having dualcompartments separated by a divider, and which are suitable mainly forsegregating two kinds or sizes of particles intended to be mixed at alater time, to containers capable of isolating one highly reactiveliquid from another and then allowing the liquids to be mixed just priorto use.

The presentinvention contemplates a container or package of this generaltype which comprises a mixing container, such as a glass jug, having aneck presenting a mouth portion; a cup fitting in said neck and adaptedto be slidably removed therefrom; a cap adapted to fit over andmechanically engage the neck; and a plunger in the cup which, in turn,is adapted to be displaced toward the bottom of the cup to remove aportion thereof to allow the contents of the cup to be mixed with theother contents of the container. The cap engages the neck of the bottlethrough means such as mating threads on the cap and the neck, andperforms the dual function of holding the cup in position and providinga shield above the cup which prevents the plunger from being displaceddownwardly in the cap without fracture of the cap. The cap has arelatively rigid frangible top section above the plunger which isadapted to be broken to permit access to the plunger for displacing theplunger downwardly to open the bottom of the cup and allow the contentsof the cup to be mixed with the other contents of the container.

The cap comprises means for engaging the cup and retaining the cupinside the cap so that access to the plunger for opening the bottom ofthe cup can only be attained by breaking the cap and removing a portionof the frangible section, even though the cap carrying the cup might beremoved from the mixing container by unscrewing the cap from the neck ofthe container. Thus, a tamperproof feature is provided which definitelyindicates whether or not the cup has been used or tampered with. Inother words, unless the frangible member isbroken, it can be assumedthat the contents of the cup have not been disturbed. Since the top ofthe cap is relatively rigid, it is not possible to depress the plungerby deforming the cap. Instead, a portion f the cap must be removed toallow the plunger to be depressed.

Preferably, the cup presents an outwardly extending peripheral flangewhich fits over the mouth portion of the neck of the container and thecap presents a shoulder which contacts the cap of the flange on the cupand presses it downwardly toward the mouth portion of the container toform a seal when the cap is fully engaged with the neck of the containeras by screwing the cap on mating threads carried by the neck. In thisform, the cap also presents an inwardly extending ridge spaced below theshoulder and forming therewith an annular retaining groove for receivingthe peripheral flange of the cup and thereby retaining the cup in thecap. The peripheral flange of the cup may be forced into the retaininggroove 3,156,369 Patented Nov. 10, 1964 lCe during manufacture andassembly of the container in such a way that it would be extremelydiicult for a subsequent user to remove the cup from the cap.

The relatively rigid frangible section of the cap preferably comprises aremovable portion defined by a breaking groove or score line of reducedthickness, and the width of the removable portion preferably is lessthan the width of the top of the plunger so that the plunger cannot bedisplaced from the cup through the opening formed in the top of the capby the removable portion. In its preferred form, the frangible sectionis broken by pressing the removable portion thereof downwardly untilthis portion is displaced from the cap and contacts the top of theplunger. Thenceforth the removable portion is pressed downwardly withthe plunger as the plunger is displaced toward and through a portion ofthe bottom of the cup.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and claims together with the drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a sectional view of the neck of a mixing container accordingto one embodiment of the bicameral package of this invention, showingthe cup and cap in position thereon;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the top of the cap of the package of FIG. l,showing the top of the cap just after the frangible section thereof hasbeen broken by a finger of the user to press the removable portion ofthe cap into contact with the top of the plunger in the cup;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the package of FIG. l,

showing the parts thereof after the plunger has been pressed intocontact with the bottom of the container to ,1 initiate removal of thebottom section thereof; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded view, partly in section and partly in elevation,showing the various parts associated with the neck portion of thepackage of the preceding figures.

Referring to FIGS. 1'-4 of the drawings, there is shown a bicameralpackage according to one embodiment of this invention which comprises amixing container 11 having a neck 12 presenting a mouth portion 13including an external rim 14, at the top of the neck. Fitting in theneck is a cup 15 having a cylindrical side wall 15a, a normally closedllat bottom 16 and an open top. The neck 12 of the container is providedwith helical threads 17 and a cap 18 having corresponding threads 19 formating with the threads 17 on the neck is provided for fitting over thecup 15 and holding it in position on the container.

The cup 15 presents an outwardly extending peripheral flange 21 whichfits over the mouth portion of the neck of the container, and the cap 1Shas a shoulder 22 which contacts the top of the peripheral flange 21 onthe cup in such a way that when the cap is urged downwardly by threadingthe cap onto the neck of the container, it will press the peripheralflange 21 toward the rim 14 on the container neck. A deformable,cylindrical flange 23 depending from the peripheral flange 21 of the cupis provided for contacting the rim 14 and forming a hermetic sealtherewith when the cap is fully engaged with the neck of the container.

To hold the cup 15 in position in the cap 18, the cap presents aninwardly extending ridge 24 in the form of an annular flange spacedbelow the shoulder 22 to form with the shoulder an annular retaininggroove 25 for receiving the peripheral flange 21 of the cup. The insidediameter of the ridge 24 presented by the cap is less than the outsidediameter of the peripheral flange 21 extending from the cup, so that theperipheral flange 21 can only be inserted in the retaining groove 25 byforcing the flange into the groove as the cap is deformed for thispurpose. Once the peripheral tiange of the cup is in position in thegroove 25, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the cup 15to be removed from the cap 18.

As mentioned hereinbefore, the cup 15 is in the form of a hollowcylinder closed at the bottom. Positioned in the cup is a plunger 26which comprises a hollow cutting cylinder 27 open at the bottom andclosed at the top by a fiat disc 28 integral therewith. The lower edge29 of the cutting cylinder 27 is inclined as if cut along a planeinclined to the axis of the cutting cylinder and in the form of asharpened cutting edge. The cutting edge 29 is formed by beveling thematerial of the plunger cylinder inwardly and upwardly from the outsidesurface of the plunger so that the cutting edge is located approximatelyat the outside diameter of the plunger.

The cup 15, itself, has a flat bottom 16 which is connected to thecylindrical side wall 15a of the cup by a circular groove 31 locatedadjacent the inside surface of the side wall 15a of the cup. The insidediameter of the cup 15 is approximately equal to the outside diameter ofthe cutting cylinder 27 of the plunger although it may be slightlygreater or slightly less than the outside diameter of the plunger whenresilient materials such as polyethylene or polypropylene are used forthese parts. Under some circumstances, it might be desirable to have atight tit between the plunger 26 and the cup 15 to minimize thelikelihood of accidental displacement of the plunger with respect to thecup. It is preferred in accordance with this embodiment of the inventionthat the side wall of the cup 15 be tapered slightly toward the bottomof the cup as shown rnost clearly in FIGS. 1 and 3 and that the insidediameter of the cup at the bottom of the cup be equal to or slightlyless than the outside diameter of the cutting cylinder 27 of the plunger26. Under these circumstances, as shown in FIG. 3, when the plunger 26is pressed downwardly, it distends the side walls slightly so that thereis a tight t between the cup and the cutting cylinder 27 of the plunger.The flat disc 28 forming the top of the plunger has an outside diameterslightly greater than the outside diameter of the cutting cylinder 27,so that the plunger can not pass into the mixing container 11 throughthe cup 15 when the bottom 16 of the cup is removed.

A frangible top section 32 of the cap is located directly above the disc28 at the top of the plunger cylinder. The frangible section 32 isrelieved on its underside to form a circular groove 32a which defines acircular removable portion 33. The frangible section 32 is reducedsufficiently in thickness above the groove that when the removableportion 33 of the frangible section is pressed downwardly, as by thefinger of the user, the removable portion 33 within the circular grooveis broken away from the cap and displaced downwardly into contact withthe disc 2S presented by the top of the plunger. In this way thedownward pressure of the finger is transferred to the plunger itself andbegins to displace the plunger downwardly toward and into contact withthe bottom of the cap. This is shown most clearly in FIGS. 1-3. As thelowerrnost portion 34 of the inclined cutting edge 29 of the cuttingcylinder of the plunger comes into Contact with the groove 31 around thebottom of the cup 15, it cuts through the cup at this point and beginsto separate the bottom 16 of the cup from the sidewall thereof. As thedownward movement of the plunger 26 continues, the cutting cylinder 27cuts further through the cup until nally the bottom 16 of the cup swingsdownwardly, as shown in phantom in FIG. 3, to open up the bottom of thecup and allow its contents to fall into the mixing container 11. At thispoint the powdered contents of the cup may be mixed with the liquidcontents of the mixing container by shaking the container. During thetime the container is being shaken for this purpose, the liquid isprevented from splashing through the open cap by the presence of theplunger. A tight t is assured between the cutting cylinder 27 of theplunger and the cylindrical side wall of the cup by an inwardlyextending annular band 35 at the top of the cup. Preferably, this band35 is formed from a resilient material so that it remains in yieldablecontact with the sides of the plunger cylinder in such a way as toassure a tight t therewith. The plunger, itself, is prevented from beingdisplaced through the opening in the top of the cap by virtue of thefact that the disc 28 at the top of the plunger is considerably widerthan the opening formed in the cap by removal of the removable portion33. Gnce the contents of the container are thoroughly mixed, the cap,the cup, and all parts associated therewith may be removed from thecontainer to allow its contents to be dispensed, merely by unscrewingthe cap from the neck of the container.

Preferably, the cap 18, the cup 15, and the plunger 26, of thisinvention, are formed from a relatively rigid and resilient plasticmaterial such as polyethylene or polypropylene. Preferably also, atleast the cutting cylinder 27 of the plunger is formed from a relativelyhard material such as polypropylene whereas the cup 15 is formed from arelatively soft material such as branched polyethylene to facilitateremoval of the bottom 16 of the cup by the cutting cylinder 27.

Having now described the invention in specific detail and exemplifiedthe manner in which it may be carried into practice, it will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art that innumerable variations,applications, modifications, and extensions of the basic principlesinvolved may be made without departing from its spirit or scope.

The invention claimed is:

1. A bicameral package comprising mixing container having a pouring neckpresenting a mouth portion, a cup fitting in said neck and adapted to beslidably removed therefrom, said cup having an outwardly extendingperipheral fiange fitting over said mouth portion, said peripheral angehaving a greater diameter than said mouth portion and overlapping theperipheral edge of said mouth portion, a removable and replaceable capadapted to fit over and mechanically engage said neck removably andreplaceably, said cap having a shoulder contacting the ange on said cupand pressing it downwardly toward said mouth portion to form a seal whenthe cap is fully engaged with said neck, said cap having an inwardlyextending ridge portion spaced below said shoulder and forming therewitha retaining recess for receiving the overlapping portion of theperipheral flange of said cup and retaining the cup in the cap when thecap is removed from the neck, and a plunger fitting in said cup andbeing displaceable toward the bottom of the cup to remove a portion ofthe cup, said cap having a relatively rigid frangible top section abovesaid plunger and said frangible section being adapted to be broken topermit access to the plunger for displacing the plunger toward thebottom of the cup to remove a portion of the cup and allow the contentsof the cup to be mixed with the other contents of the container whilethe cap is in position on the neck of the container, said frangiblesection comprising a removable portion having a transverse dimensionless than the transverse dimension of the top of the plunger so that theplunger cannot be displaced from the cup through the opening left in thetop of the cap by displacement of the removable portion, the top of theplunger having a transverse dimension greater than the inside diameterof the cup for preventing the plunger from being removed from the cupthrough the bottom of the cup, whereby the cap containing the cup andthe plunger may be removed easily from the pouring neck by unscrewingthe cap from the neck to allow some of the mixture to be poured from themixing container and the mixing container may be reclosed by screwingthe cap back on the pouring neck and the cup and the plunger retainedtherein to complete the closure.

2. A bicameral package according to claim 1, wherein the cup when theplunger is depressed with respect to the cup comprises a substantiallycylindrical side wall and the cup. y the plunger comprises a cuttingcylinder and said cutting References Cited in the me of this patentcylinder fits tightly inside at least an annular portion presented bysaid side Wall to provide a tight t between the UNITED STATES PATENTSplunger and the cup when the plunger iS depressed Witll 21,721,552 NosikOct' 25 1955 respect to the cup. FOREIGN PATENTS 3. A bicarneral packageaccording tO Claim 2, Wherelll Y 22,247 Great Britain of 1895 one of theside wall of the cup and the cutting cylinder lo 63,463 France APL 13,1955 is tapered to provide a tight t between the plunger and 573,376Italy Feb 24, 1958

1. A BICAMERAL PACKAGE COMPRISING MIXING CONTAINER HAVING A POURING NECKPRESENTING A MOUTH PORTION, A CUP FITTING IN SAID NECK AND ADAPTED TO BESLIDABLY REMOVED THEREFROM, SAID CUP HAVING AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDINGPERIPHERAL FLANGE FITTING OVER SAID MOUTH PORTION, SAID PERIPHERALFLANGE HAVING A GREATER DIAMETER THAN SAID MOUTH PORTION AND OVERLAPPINGTHE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF SAID MOUTH PORTION, A REMOVABLE AND REPLACEABLECAP ADAPTED TO FIT OVER AND MECHANICALLY ENGAGE SAID NECK REMOVABLY ANDREPLACEABLY, SAID CAP HAVING A SHOULDER CONTACTING THE FLANGE ON SAIDCUP AND PRESSING IT DOWNWARDLY TOWARD SAID MOUTH PORTION TO FORM A SEALWHEN THE CAP IS FULLY ENGAGED WITH SAID NECK, SAID CAP HAVING ANINWARDLY EXTENDING RIDGE PORTION SPACED BELOW SAID SHOULDER AND FORMINGTHEREWITH A RETAINING RECESS FOR RECEIVING THE OVERLAPPING PORTION OFTHE PERIPHERAL FLANGE OF SAID CUP AND RETAINING THE CUP IN THE CAP WHENTHE CAP IS REMOVED FROM THE NECK, AND A PLUNGER FITTING IN SAID CUP ANDBEING DISPLACEABLE TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF THE CUP TO REMOVE A PORTION OFTHE CUP, SAID CAP HAVING A RELATIVELY RIGID FRANGIBLE TOP SECTION ABOVESAID PLUNGER AND SAID FRANGIBLE SECTION BEING ADAPTED TO BE BROKEN TOPERMIT ACCESS TO THE PLUNGER FOR DISPLACING THE PLUNGER TOWARD THEBOTTOM OF THE CUP TO REMOVE A PORTION OF THE CUP AND ALLOW THE CONTENTSOF THE CUP TO BE MIXED WITH THE OTHER CONTENTS OF THE CONTAINER WHILETHE CAP IS IN POSITION ON THE NECK OF THE CONTAINER, SAID FRANGIBLESECTION COMPRISING A REMOVABLE PORTION HAVING A TRANSVERSE DIMENSIONLESS THAN THE TRANSVERSE DIMENSION OF THE TOP OF THE PLUNGER SO THAT THEPLUNGER CANNOT BE DISPLACED FROM THE CUP THROUGH THE OPENING LEFT IN THETOP OF THE CAP BY DISPLACEMENT OF THE REMOVABLE PORTION, THE TOP OF THEPLUNGER HAVING A TRANSVERSE DIMENSION GREATER THAN THE INSIDE DIAMETEROF THE CUP FOR PREVENTING THE PLUNGER FROM BEING REMOVED FROM THE CUPTHROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE CUP, WHEREBY THE CAP CONTAINING THE CUP ANDTHE PLUNGER MAY BE REMOVED EASILY FROM THE POURING NECK BY UNSCREWINGTHE CAP FROM THE NECK TO ALLOW SOME OF THE MIXTURE TO BE POURED FROM THEMIXING CONTAINER AND THE MIXING CONTAINER MAY BE RECLOSED BY SCREWINGTHE CAP BACK ON THE POURING NECK AND THE CUP AND THE PLUNGER RETAINEDTHEREIN TO COMPLETE THE CLOSURE.